Travel Insurance for Australia + Other Insurances

by | Last updated Jan 21, 2025 | Travel Insurance | 0 comments

There are insurance policies available to cover you for just about everything you can think of, your life, your car, your house and contents, your job, your pets, etc. but when you are going to work and travel around Australia then you need to think about is travel insurance for Australia plus other insurances. Now, I’m not an insurance expert nor a broker but in this post I will explain what I know about insurances you may need while you travel Australia.

 

What Is Insurance?

 

The aim of insurance is to protect individuals and businesses from the financial loss of an unexpected event like accident, illness, natural disaster or other unexpected circumstances.

 

How Does Insurance Work?

 

To put it as simply as possible, insurance is a contract between an individual or business and an insurance company. The contract, often known as a policy, protects you or your business against financial losses. Basically, you pay a premium to the insurance company which goes in to a pool. If something happens you make a claim and the insurance company should pay for certain losses.

 

Pros and Cons of Australian Insurances

 

As with everything there are pros and cons.

 

Pros of Taking Out Insurance to Cover Australian Travels

 

  • knowledge you are covered for unexpected mishaps, illness and accidents while travelling Australia.
  • have peace of mind knowing you are covered.

 

Cons of Taking Out Insurance to Cover Australian Travels

 

  • insurance is an added expense that can be expensive.
  • not everything is covered.
  • you could have issues with the insurance company when making a claim.

 

Why Would You Need Insurance to Travel Australia?

 

There are pros and cons to insurance but Insurance is important for travelling around Australia because it can help cover unexpected costs, such as medical expenses, lost luggage, trip cancellations and accidents. Without insurance, you might have to pay for medical bills, damage to your vehicle and travel home yourself. So if something does happen while on your Aussie travels including on a weekend staycation, working holiday or while doing the big lap of Oz, hopefully you will covered by insurance.

 

What Insurances Do You Need to Travel Australia?

 

As I have travelled Australia I have needed different insurances for the different things I have done. Some insurances I have needed include:

  • when I have flown interstate on a one week Gold Coast Holiday. I took out general travel insurance to cover my holiday. And if on this holiday I decide to undertake some extreme sport or other activity like scuba diving, skiing or hang gliding I take out extra insurance to cover me for these.
  • my car has car insurance that covers me for accidents and damage to the car when I go on a road trip or car camping. If I have rented a car I have taken out car insurance from the rental company to cover me while I am in possession of the rental.
  • I don’t tow a caravan, but may in the future, so I would insure my caravan as well as the vehicle towing it.
  • Medicare mostly covers me for medical bills and expenses however, I also have private health insurance that covers me for extra things.
  • You probably don’t want to think about dying while travelling, but having life insurance is a good idea that will cover you and provide for your family in case it happens.
  • A dog has recently joined my family and he enjoys coming on trips. As he could have an accident or become ill, we have pet insurance to cover him.

 

As you have read from my insurance experiences, there are a number of different types of insurances you will need while travelling Australia.

 

Travel Insurance

 

Travel Insurance is probably the biggest insurance you take out to travel Australia, particularly if you are visiting from overseas such as on a working holiday. Now travel Insurance is just that, insurance that covers you while you are on holiday, and you never know when you might need it, missed connections, lost luggage, cancelled accommodation, etc. Even on small getaways I take out insurance.

It is wise to shop around when it comes to choosing holiday insurance as there are a number of insurers available. I often get a quote from WorldNomads for my travel general insurance as well as SafetyWing.

Before you buy any insurance read the fine print on different policies, compare what they cover you for and how much they pay if things go wrong. Your travel insurance should cover you for:

  • cancellation fees and lost deposits incurred upon cancellation arising from unforeseen circumstances
  • overseas medical, dental and emergency expenses
  • emergency flight home if required
  • missed connections
  • hijack and kidnap
  • loss, theft or damage to your luggage
  • travel delay
  • accidental death
  • loss of income
  • personal liability
  • legal costs
  • working holidays – if you are coming to Australia on a working holiday then ensure your insurance policy covers you for a working holiday. If you only take out travel insurance and then start to work, you won’t be covered.

 

Some things you should check your travel insurance includes:

  • Is there a 24-hour telephone number obtainable from anywhere in the world in case you need assistance?
  • Can the policy be extended if you decide to stay longer?
  • Are pre-existing medical conditions covered?
  • What happens if you are injured and need to be flown home?
  • Are goods you purchase covered?
  • Will it cover personal items stolen from the hire car or accommodation?
  • Can you make a claim while overseas or do you have to wait until you return home?
  • Whether you are covered for participation in specific activities like whitewater rafting, sailing, winter sports, parachuting, mountaineering, etc. If you’re booked to go skiing, does your insurance cover you for piste closure when there isn’t enough snow?
  • Whether expensive items like phones, cameras, video equipment, computers, etc., are covered as these aren’t usually covered in general policies.

 

Vehicle Insurance

 

If you are travelling Australia in a car, van, 4WD, truck or on a bike, you will want insurance cover your vehicle for any damage from mishaps and accidents it may be involved in. There are many insurance companies to get a quote and policy with. There are the large Australia wide organisations such as Budget Direct, AAMI, Allianz, GIO and QBE to name a few. Then there are many state named insurance organisations like RACV, NRMA and RACQ to name a few. It is definitely worth your while to shop around to get the best quote for you and your budget.

 

Caravan Insurance

 

If you are towing a caravan you will want to have insurance coverage for that too. Yes, caravan insurance is different from car insurance because it covers damage to your caravan, while car insurance usually only covers your vehicle while towing it. You could see if your car insurance company insures caravans and get a bundle as it might be cheaper to bundle the two insurances together. If not, there are a number of caravan insurers in the market. Check out CIL, Let’s Go Caravan Insurance, Australian Caravan Insurance and Jayco Caravan Insurance to name a few.

 

Medical Insurance

 

All Australians are covered for medical under the national Medicare scheme. This means you can be treated for illness or accident at doctors around Australia in practices and in hospitals. Australia has Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with the following countries: Belgium, Finland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Slovenia, Sweden, and United Kingdom. These agreements allow eligible visitors from these countries to access some free or reduced cost health care services through Australia’s Medicare system. Get more details on the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement here

Some Australians have private health insurance. I do to cover me for extras such as osteopath, dental and optical. But that’s just me. Private health insurance can be expense and thus an expensive add-on when travelling Australia. Is it a necessary insurance to have while travelling Australia? Only you can answer that one.

 

 
 

Other Insurances

 

There are other insurances you may consider taking out while you travel Australia. You may want home and contents insurance to cover your home while you are away. And you may want life insurance in case of any accidents. And if travelling with a pet or pets, you may want to take out pet insurance.

 

Have You Got The Appropriate Insurance to Travel Australia?

 

As I mentioned at the beginning, having travel insurance to travel Australia and other insurances to travel Australia have benefits and drawbacks. It is wise to have the appropriate travel insurance to cover you as you discover Australia now, as you just don’t know what might happen. I hope you have found this post useful? If you can suggest any other insurance to take out to travel Australia with I’d love to hear so I can keep this post updated.

 

Boardwalk at Phillip Island - don't trip or you may need to claim travel insurance to travel Australia.

My Favourite Travel Resources that help me discover Australia now.

* For accommodation I book a bed in a hostel through HostelWorld or a hotel room via Booking.com. For free accommodation I house sit through Trusted Housesitters.
* I purchase camping & caravanning gear through Caravan RV Camping, Amazon and Anaconda.
* I power up my gear and electronics with a Bluetti Powerbank.
* For clothing and travel gear I like North Face  (particularly their jackets and their hybrid backpack/suitcase) and Anaconda. For bags (I take my messenger bag everywhere) I like Bagsmart.
* If I need to rent a car I check out options at DiscoverCars.
* When I need travel insurance I get a policy through World Nomads or SafetyWing.

 

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Me

Bells Beach Surfing Recreation Reserve Sign shaped like a big white wave with Sharyn McCullum On the Great Ocean Road.

G’Day! Sharyn here, an Aussie discovering Australia. Let me show you around so you can discover Australia too.  Read my story here.



Booking.com

Don't miss out!
Subscribe to the Newsletter
We promise not to spam you. Unsubscribe at any time.
Invalid email address

Adsense